An American missionary kidnapped in Niger over nine months ago has been released to U.S. officials, the organization he worked for said Friday.
“We are grateful to confirm that our good friend and brother in Christ, Kevin Rideout, has been released after over nine months in captivity,” Serving in Mission International said in a statement, adding that he was in good health.
The White House and the State Department did not immediately comment on the circumstances of his release.
Rideout was kidnapped from outside his home in Niger’s capital, Niamey, on Oct. 21, the first American to be abducted in the country since 2020. He had worked as a Christian missionary in the country for 19 years, and his disappearance set off a scramble within the U.S. government against the backdrop of a perilous security situation and declining U.S. intelligence assets in the region.
SIM International, an evangelical organization that works in more than 70 countries, did not elaborate on Rideout’s experience but said he would soon be reunited with his wife, children and extended family.
President Donald Trump has made the return of Americans held hostage or imprisoned abroad a key area of focus for his administration. Earlier this week, Russia released Robert Gilman, a U.S. Marine veteran imprisoned since 2022 for allegedly kicking a police officer while drunk.
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